Apparatus for exercising the fingers



Dec. 10, 1929. G. RETlF APPARATUS FOR EXERCISING THE FINGERS Filed June 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l :JIHHIIIIIIIIIIIII Dec. 10, 1929. s. RETlF APPARATUS FOR EXERCISING THE FINGERS Filed June 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :EEEEE H. M. M. HH

a I l 1 1 I l 1 1 v 1 1 I I I x I l l 1 If I rlL I Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGES BETIF, DECEASED, LATE OF SANCOINS, FRANCE, IBY EMILE GAYMY, AD-

MINISTRATOR, OF SANCOINS, FBANCE APPARATUS FOR EXERCISING THE FINGERS Application filed June 7, 1926, Serial No. 114,281, and in France June 17, 1925.

In certain apparatus for exercising the fingers, the latter are placed in rings which rest on a frame to which an oscillating movement is imparted so that the fingers may escape easily during the course of the exercise, so that they are exercised simultaneously in the same manner, the fingers can thus not be forced to make difficult exercises or separated from each other.

Further improvements are provided in which the control lever serves for the movement for spreading or stretching the fingers, as well as a general form of construction of the apparatus.

The appended drawings show by way of example an embodiment of the said invention.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is the corresponding plan view.

Fig. 3 is a partial front view of the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the control of the levers carrying the finger clamps.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the transmission means between the control lever and the driving shaft.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line VI-V I of Fi 5.

The mechanism of the apparatus shown in the drawing is disposed in a main frame 1 upon which is mounted the wrist support 2.

The control lever 3 is secured by a screw 4: to the driving shaft 5.

There may be given to the lever 3 an oscillating motion by operating it by hand by means of the knob 6. The said knob further serves to regulate the amount of the oscillation. To this effect, to the said knob is secured the screw shaft 7 which can be rotated but cannot be moved lengthwise by reason of its method of mounting upon the lever 3. Upon the said screw is movable the stop 8 which cannot follow the rotation of the screw shaft 7, due to the action of the slide 9 which is movable in the guide 10 disposed upon the support of the lever 3. The slide 9 is preferably screwthreaded and is provided with'awing nut 11 by which the stop 8 may be secured in position upon the support of the lever 3 by screwing the said nut upon the guide screw 9.

The angular displacement of the stop 8 is limited by a ramp 12 of suitable shape which is mounted on the frame 1. In this manner the lengthwise displacement of the stop 8 on the screw 7 by the knob 6 permits of varying the amount of oscillation of the lever 3 and hence the amount of rotation of the driving shaft 5.

It should be further noted that on the other face of the. main frame is mounted a ramp 12, and that the other end of the driving shaft 5 extends outwardly of the frame 1 and may have mounted thereon the lever 3. In this manner may be disposed the control lever 3 on either side of the frame 1, so that the apparatus will serve to exercise both hands in succession.

To afford a greater elasticity in thecontrol of the driving shaft 5, the following device may be placed between the control lever 3 and the shaft 5. In the cylinder 13 secured to the lever 3 is disposed the disc 14. which is I rotatable without friction in the said cylinder and has a square recess for the insertion of the driving shaft 5. To the said disc 14 is screwed the stop 15.

A screw 16 is mounted in the stop 15 and it can oscillate freely in the recess 17 formed in the cylinder 13. This latter is provided with the stop 18. The springs 19 and 20 abut at one end against the stop 15 secured to the driving shaft 5 and at the other end against the stop 15 secured to the driving shaft 5 and also against the stop 18 secured to the lever 3. The cylinder 13 thus arranged is closed by a disc 21 which is rotatable without friction in the said cylinder and has a square recess for the insertion of the driv ing shaft 5.

In this manner when the driving shaft 5 meets with a resistance, one of the said springs will yield, thus gradually increasing the resistance to be overcome by the control lever 3. The mechanism can thus be operated with an easier movement.

Upon the main frame is mounted a stationary shaft 22, upon which the two levers 23 and two levers 23 rest by means of the sleeves 24: loosely mounted on the shaft 22. Upon each of the levers is slidable a sliding member 25 which can be set in position on the lever by the screw 26. It is preferred to give the levers a polygonal cross section, so that the slides '25 can be inclined in as many positions as there are sides to the polygon. Upon the slide 25 is mounted pivoting on the axle 27 a finger clamp 28, known per se, and the spacing between its two clamping members is regulated. by the screw 29.

The finger clamp 28 is thus rotatable on the shaft 27, and the said shaft may be moved either parallel with the lever 23 or 23 by sliding the said sliding member 25 thereon, or it may be rotated upon the said lever, the said screw serving to hold it upon one of the faces of the lever.

The drive shaft 5 supports, perpendicular to each lever 23 or 23 a crank 30 or 30 concealed on Fig. 2 by the corresponding lever 23 .or 23. A small curved rod 31 or 31 is oscillatably mounted on the one hand on the crank 30 or 30 about the screw 32 01132 and, on the other hand, on lever 23 or 23 about thescrew 33 or 33.

In order to givesimultaneously to levers 23 an ascending movement and to levers 23 a descending movement, with the same shaft 5,

the crank shafts 30 are displaced about 180 with respect to the cranks 30 and the elbows of the small rods 31 and 31 are in opposite directions. If the movements of these members are studied it will be seen that levers 23 rise when levers 23 descend and vice versa.

When the driving shaft oscillates due to the movement given to-the control lever 3, the levers 23 will oscillate. To give to the two levers 23 and 23 inverse movements of oscillation, the cranks 30 and 30 of the respective levers will be practically in the opposite position (Fig. 1) and the elbow of the link 31 will be upwardly directed. In this manner the common driving shaft 5 will simultaneously raise the lever 23 and lower the lever 23, and inversely.

Further, the control of the motion by the lever allows of adapting the apparatus in a simple manner to the spreading or spacing of such of the fingers as are of particular interest to performers on the violin, the Violoncello and other instruments. For this purpose the lever 3 carries a rod 36 in which can be mounted one of the finger clamps, and a second finger clamp may be mounted at 35 in like manner upon a rod 37 secured to the main frame.

It should be observed that the ramps 12 for limiting the stroke are mounted on the lateral cheeks of the frame which at the same time forms a sort of casing containing the Whole of the controlling mechanism, so that only the finger clamps project to the exterior. Further, the said casing surrounding the mechanism affords a rest for the hand, and thus dispenses with the special wrist supports, in'fact'somewhat cumbersome,-Wh-ioh are employed in the known apparatus of this class.

The operations is as follows:

The person secures the four fingers in the four respective clamps 28 by means of the screws 29, and if desired, the position of said clamps can be adjusted as regards the length of the lever 23 and also around the latter, by securing the slide 25 by means of the screw 26. The wrist will now rest upon the support 2. The person gives to the control lever 3 which is disposed on one side or the other of the control shaft 5, a movement of oscillation, whose amplitude can be regulated by moving the stop 8 by means of the knob 6, and this can be done without stopping, if so desired. The motion of the lever 3 is imparted to the driving shaft 5 which as above .disclosed will raise two of the levers-23 and at the same time lower the other two. The fingers which are held in the said finger clamps are obliged to follow the movements of oscillation of the latter; thus the first and second fingers will descend while the third and fourth fingers will rise, and inversely. All of the joints and muscles will be caused to work in the same manner as for instance a pianist would move them when playing.

The apparatus mayfurther be used for exercises in the stretching spreading of the fingers, and herein a finger clamp 34 is mounted on the rod 36 secured to the control lever 3 and asecond clamp 35 on the rod 37 secured to the frame 2. By operatingthe control lever 3, the fingers which are held in the said clamps will be successively separated and brought together.

Having now particularly described andascertained the said invention and in what manner the-same is to be performed it is declared that what is claimed is:

1. Apparatus to exercise the fingers, comprising in combination a plurality of pivoting levers, a finger gripper carried by each lever, each finger gripper comprising members placed opposite each other and coming in contact with opposite surfaces of the finger, means serving to lock said members adjustably against the fingers, means for imparting an alternating movement to the pivoting levers, said means consisting of a single manually controlled lever, and means to convert the oscillating movement of the control lever into oscillating movements of the pivoting levers in the opposite direction.

2. In an apparatus according to claim 1, levers carrying the finger clamps, of a lever controlling the movement of said levers carrying the finger-clamps and means to limit the magnitude of the movement of said control lever, these means consisting in an inclined plane integral with the base and a stop member of variable position integral with the control lever.

3. In an apparatus according to claim 1, levers carrying the finger clamps, a-lever controlling the movement of said levers carrying the clamps and means for absorbing shocks, these means being arranged between said control lever and the levers carrying the clamps.

at. In an apparatus according to claim 1, levers carrying the clamps, a lever controlling the movement of said levers carrying the clamps and means to absorb shocks, these means consisting of springs applied on the one hand against a stop member integral with the control lever and on the other against a stop integral with the remainder of the transmisslon means.

5. In an apparatus according to claim 1, levers carrying the finger clamps, a lever controlling the movement of the levers carrying the finger clamps, a drive shaft, a fixed shaft, the levers carrying the finger clamps being adapted to oscillate on said fixed shaft, and transmission means between said drive shaft and the levers carr ins the fin er clamps.

6. In an apparatus according to claim 1, levers carrying the finger clamps, a lever controlling the movement of said levers carrying the clam as, a fixed axis about which oscillate said levers carrying the finger stalls, and transmission means, these means consisting of cranks keyed on the drive shaft, and links pivoted on the one hand to these cranks and on the other to said levers carrying the clamps.

7. In an apparatus according to claim 1, levers carrying the finger clamps, a lever controlling the movement of levers carrying the clamps, a drive shaft arranged between said controll lever and the levers carrying the finger clamps, and means to absorb shocks, these means consisting of two springs applied on the one hand against a first sto member integral with the control lever, an on the other hand, against a second stop member integral with the drive shaft, said stops and said springs being inside a housing mounted on the drive shaft and adapted to rotate freely in the housing.

8. In an apparatus according to claim 1, levers carrying the finger clamps, a lever controlling the movement of the levers carrying the clamps and a base forming a frame and support for the wrist.

9. In an apparatus according to claim 1, levers carrying the finger clamps, a lever controlling the movement of said levers carrying the finger clamps, a base forming a frame and support for the wrist, and a drive shaft comprising shaft ends exterior to the base for attaching the control lever.

10. In apparatus according to claim 1, stop members for limiting the maximum amplitude of said control member.

11. In an apparatus according to claim 1, means to vary the amplitude of movement of the control lever, these means consisting 1n 

